Atcheson’s latest book tackles faith of Alabama’s Crimson Tide

The missed kick that cost The University of Alabama the overtime extra point in the 1999 Orange Bowl game against Michigan is a play former Alabama football player Ryan Pflugner said he will never forget.
   
But Pflugner said the missed kick — which gave Michigan a 35–34 win over Alabama — had a positive effect in strengthening his relationship with God.
   
“It will be a reminder that God is in control of what is going on in my life and that He is always looking to give me opportunities to point to Him,” Pflugner said. “This isn’t the way I wanted to get an opportunity, but that’s what it is.”
   
Pflugner shares the story in a new book about the The University of Alabama’s players and coaches by Wayne Atcheson. While the college’s victories on the gridiron are legendary, “Faith of the Crimson Tide” offers illustrations of the impact faith in God has made in the lives of the school’s athletes, coaches and staff.
   
The cover of “Faith of the Crimson Tide” is a photograph of another Alabama football hero, Shaun Alexander, leading the Crimson Tide and Tennessee players in prayer during a meeting between the rival teams.
   
As with Pflugner Atcheson shares Alexander’s faith, referring to him as “one of the finest Christian athletes we’ve ever had to walk on The University of Alabama campus.
   
“His story will really surprise people of just how close, just how committed and dedicated he is in his faith,” said Atcheson, sports information director for The University of Alabama since 1983.
   
The first two chapters highlight Alexander’s rise to stardom at Alabama, how he shared his faith with other players and his thoughts on his career at the university.
   
Atcheson said the book is intended to highlight athletes like Alexander and Pflugner — in addition to players like John David Phillips, Andy Phillips, Kevin Stephen and others — whom he believes are Christian role model stories for both young people and adults.
   
“It’s amazing to me of the young people that I wrote about, how much spiritual maturity they have,” Atcheson said.
   
While Alabama’s coaches serve as mentors for their players in the field of competition, Atcheson said many of them are also strong role models in their Christian faith.
   
“Many of the coaches and staff have faced great trials and tribulation and they share how their faith in God has been their stronghold,” Atcheson said.
   
One of the coaches included in the book is head football coach Mike DuBose, who recently announced he will leave Alabama at the end of this season.
   
DuBose shared how he sought a renewed relationship with Jesus, following the revelation in August 1999 of an improper relationship with a secretary who worked in the athletic department. Recounting the turmoil that followed, the coach said he feared he was about to lose both his family and the job he had dreamed about.
   
“I could continue down that road and lose it all or I could turn to Jesus and ask for forgiveness and His grace,” DuBose said in the book. “Thankfully, I was forgiven for it.”
   
“If anyone’s interested in where Mike stands today in his faith, they’ll find it in this book,” Atcheson said. “He has a strong faith and it’s for real. He’s deep in the Bible, he’s deep in prayer and Bible study and his church.
   
“I have many people to ask me ‘is his faith real?’ and it’s definitely real,” Atcheson said.
   
The book is also a reader’s delight for anyone, even if their only interest in the subject matter is Alabama athletics, as Atcheson shares humorous stories from the locker rooms and sidelines of the games.
   
There are also more stories of players’ defeats and how they turned to God.
   
Atcheson shares the story of John David Phillips, which he said is “unbelievable.”
   
Phillips relates his struggle during his senior year when he started the first four games at quarterback and did not play a single down for seven consecutive games while he was team captain.
   
“He expresses in the book what he went through, how he supported Andrew Zow and how his faith sustained him,” Atcheson said. “It’s awesome for young people to read — I’ve said every young person in the state should read his story.”
   
Alabama insiders will also love a bittersweet account of the school’s most famous coach. Atcheson relates an account of a minister who prayed with Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant just minutes before Bryant died in 1983.
   
The book’s last chapter focuses on the 36-year history of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the University and the commitment of its strong Christian leaders throughout the years, from Steve Sloan and John Croyle to Walter Lewis and Jay Barker.
   
Atcheson, himself a graduate of The University of Alabama, said he believes each chapter of the book will appeal to any sports fan. Most importantly, he hopes the book will be invaluable for someone seeking a resource to reach a lost person or someone who has a tough decision to make.
   
“These are good examples of people that they’ve (fans) heard about and how faith helped them to overcome,” he said. “People relate a lot more sometimes to athletic figures; it’s just the nature of our culture.”